Gospel—Jim Hyland
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I'd like to begin the Gospel Meeting this evening with Hymn #7 on the gospel hymn sheet. God loved the world of sinners lost and ruined by the fall. Salvation full at highest cost. He offers free to all, owe to us, love to us, wondrous love, the love of God. To me, it brought my Savior from above to die on Calvary Hymn #7. If someone could please start it.
All of the world of sinners and.
My Lord.
Starvation.
In your face.
Oh, 1:00.
One hot under the flood.
Wholeness.
It brought my Savior from all to die on now.
My face, I claim in my life, unabridged countryside of all.
Reason.
I can't stand by client and by an endless sacred Lord.
I'd like to turn to one of the most familiar Gospel verses in the whole word of God. It's John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 16.
John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 16. We'll read this verse through twice.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
But have everlasting life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
When I was asked if I would take on this responsibility, I found myself talking to the Lord out loud, as I sometimes do when I'm alone in my study or any other place where nobody else is around. And I was asking the Lord what I should take up, what portion of scripture I should read and preach the gospel from this evening, And the Lord seemed to say John 316 And then I found myself arguing with the Lord a little bit.
But Lord, we often take up John 316. Lord, they've all heard me preach on John 316. Many people get up at a gospel meeting and preach on John. 316 And the Lord seemed to say, preach on John 316. You know, you couldn't prove it by me, But my father, who kept copious notes during meetings, he told me near the end of his life that he had kept track for many years of the Scriptures that gospel preachers began.
Their gospel meetings with and he had tallied up that the.
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Scripture that gospel preachers begin with the most in my father's experience, was John 316.
And so we're going to take this up again tonight, and I trust with the Lord's help, and it will only be with the Lord's help and a work of the Spirit of God that we can present once again, as has often been presented from this precious gospel verse, the simple gospel message. And our particular burden tonight, of course, is if there's someone here in this room, perhaps you've sat here today, perhaps you've sat in this very room other years.
And you're not saved. You're still on the Broad Rd. that leads to destruction.
You know, it's a very solemn thing. Often I have the opportunity and the privilege of presenting the gospel.
To a crowd where I feel perhaps most are not saved and that most have perhaps not even heard a clear gospel before.
Last night in the hotel lobby, we were showing some of the young boys, some of the crowds of children and young people that gather in the villages in the interior of Guyana, South America, and some of those places down there. And when we arrived, pretty soon the kids are coming from school and they'll meet in a little bamboo town community hall with a thatched roof. And you might have two or three hundred children, and they're all there to hear the word of God.
And in the evening, the adults come, and it's a wonderful privilege and challenge to present the gospel.
To a group of individuals like that, but you know, sometimes in a setting like this, I feel even more burdened.
I feel even more challenged in my soul because I am afraid there are people who sit in gospel meetings like this.
And they've heard it so many times that as the expression goes, it becomes like water off a duck's back. I remember one time Brother Garvin, Seymour and I were in Trinidad and Brother Seymour one evening at the gospel hall there he had lovingly presented a clear, simple gospel message, as he alone can do. And after that gospel message, a 16 year old girl stood up to confess that she had just received the Lord Jesus as her Savior.
You know what really shocked us? Because that girl was brought up in a Christian home. I had visited and stayed in her parents home many times. We had had readings in the home. Abigail had often participated or asked questions in the readings. She'd come to the meetings since she was a baby, but she was not saved. And that night she wanted to confess before us all that she had finally come to know the Lord Jesus as her savior.
And so I am not going to assume tonight that every child and young person here knows Christ as their savior. You know Judas passed amongst the other disciples during the years of the Lord's public ministry. And so clever was he in his cover up that when it came to the upper room and the Lord said there was a betrayer amongst them, they all looked at each other and said, is it I? Is it I? Is it I? You'd think, after being that close for 3 1/2 years that some, at least some of the disciples might have suspected who the betrayer was.
But Judas, I say as a professor, was so clever in his cover up that none of the other disciples even suspected. And I hope there isn't a Judas here tonight, someone who's passing as a believer and is not real. And so we we come to this precious verse and before we comment on the expressions here, it's important when we take up a verse of scripture to get the context. You know, this verse is the result of a man coming to the Lord Jesus.
One night now it's true, he waited till night, but never mind. He came and his name was Nicodemus. And he had a lot of questions for the Lord. You know, this man had had religious, he was a religious man, He had rank, he had reputation. But Nicodemus felt within his soul that that wasn't enough. There was still an emptiness in his soul and he wanted to talk to the Lord Jesus.
And he came to the Lord Jesus. And yes, his soul was satisfied, but he had a lot of questions, and there was a lot were a lot of things that Nicodemus didn't understand. And maybe sometimes that's the way it is. When we're children and young people, we come to the meetings and you say, well, the brothers talk a lot about things, and a lot of things I don't understand. And maybe this morning and this afternoon there were a lot of things in the meetings that you didn't quite understand.
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But don't worry about that. Don't let the things you don't know keep you from enjoying the things you do know. And the gospel is very simple. It's so simple, it says that the way of righteousness is so plain that a wayfaring man, though a fool, may not err therein. And we want to try to make this as simple and plain as possible. And the Lord Jesus very patiently answered the questions of Nicodemus. I'm thankful for those who in Scripture, raised questions.
Sometimes, perhaps they should have known. And the Lord did say to Nicodemus, art thou a teacher in Israel, and know us not these things? If Nicodemus taking the position religiously in Israel that he did, he should have known. If he had been reading the Old Testament with prayerful exercise, he should have understood what the Lord was talking about when he spoke of being born again, and so on. However, the Lord Jesus very patiently went over these things.
And finally the Lord Jesus says to him, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Is there anything complicated about that? Not one thing. Think of these simple words spoken by the Lord Jesus himself for God. Oh think of God the Creator. Think of the awesomeness and the greatness of God. People are finding out. Scientists are finding out.
More and more as to the.
Greatness of creation and the galaxies and the stars that they never knew existed.
And they're finding out how great this God is. But oh, tonight we want to bring this right down home where we are.
We are responsible to our maker. We are responsible to God.
You remember when Daniel stood before Belshazzar, perhaps the greatest king of the day. He said, The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified? We find that Belshazzar was living for the moment, living for himself. And isn't that what we find today, man living for himself? No thought of the future, no thought of having to meet God, even though Scripture tells it is, tells us it is appointed unto men once to die?
And after this the judgment.
Scripture exhorts us. Prepare to meet Thy God. You know, we spend a great deal of our life preparing for various things, don't we? When we as parents send our children off to school, it's for preparation, preparation for life. We send them to elementary school to prepare them for secondary school. Young people go to secondary school to prepare them for college or university or or a job in the workplace.
If a young person goes on to higher education, why he does it? Because he's looking forward to the day when he can get a good job or a better job and he can settle down. He can get some of the things in life that he wants, maybe get married, have a have a family. A person works hard during their.
During middle age. And why did they do that? Well, they say they're looking forward to the day when they won't have to work so hard or they can. They can retire, a person retires, and then what's ahead?
Very searching, isn't it? And so we spend our whole lives preparing for things in this life. But do we give consideration to the next life? Because there is another world. There is another life. This life is short compared to to eternity. You know, we sometimes talk about spending eternity, and I understand what we mean when we say that. I use the expression myself. But you know, you can spend a bank account. You can spend the money that's in your wallet.
We can spend time, but you really can't spend something that goes on and on and on and on. We really can't spend eternity. You know the Lord Jesus when he was here, he told about a man, Well, two men, Not a parable, but an actual incident where two men lived here in this world, a rich man. And Lazarus, when there's a name given in a story that the Lord told, it's not a parable. He doesn't give names in parables.
Parables were stories to illustrate a moral point, but the Lord also told actual stories and news events, current events, The Tower of Salom falling on those ones.
Herod mingling their blood with their sacrifices and so on. That was the current events of the day. But he told about two men you haven't recorded in Luke's Gospel, two men that lived in this world. They lived in this world under very different circumstances.
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But that's really not the point of the story. The point of the story is they entered the next World under two very different circumstances. One went to a place of bliss. One went to Abraham's bosom. The other went to a place of torment. And that man wanted one drop of water to cool his tongue. You know, it's very interesting that when the rich man lifted up his eyes in hell and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom, he didn't ask to be released from the confines in which he found himself.
I believe he understood clearly that his destiny was fixed. What he did ask for was that someone would bring him momentary relief.
Did he ever get it? You know the Lord told that story 2000 plus years ago. You know that man is still in that same condition and he'll be there for eternity. Not solemn to think about 2000 years plus, but it's nothing compared to eternity. But thank God we have the glorious gospel to proclaim that God.
So loved.
You know, if it just said God loved, that would be wonderful and we'd have a message of the gospel of good news to proclaim. But so loved. You know, the dictionary tells us that the word soul gives intensity to the verb that follows. And I want to impress upon our hearts for a few moments the intensity of God's love. God has not just loved in Word, but he has loved. Indeed, he has proved his love beyond a shadow of a doubt.
And this was manifested the love of God toward us, in that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we that that we might be saved through through Him. The word manifest means to clearly show that's what a dictionary will tell you. And God has clearly shown His love to you and to me in the giving of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh to think of God the Father sending His Son, the Father sent the Son.
Isn't that more than if it just said God sent Jesus?
God did send Jesus, and here we find that God gave His only begotten Son. But it was the Father, a relationship that existed from a past eternity. You know, it's very interesting and instructive to realize that in Scripture when it speaks of the sun He's always sent or given. You know, the Lord Jesus did not just become the Son in incarnation. He was the Son from a past eternity.
And so we read in Isaiah, when it was prophesied of his birth unto us a child is born. That's his manhood.
And immediately the Spirit of God records unto us, the Son is not born but given. You know, I I never had sons, and I could never send a son to help you in a in a difficult situation because I don't have sons. But God had a son from a past eternity. And God sent God gave his Son. And I believe that's what Paul was referring to when he said, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
God has given many gifts to man. It tells us in the book of James, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning.
You know the good things that we enjoyed at the buffet today? They're the gift of God, Solomon said on 2 occasions in the Book of Ecclesiastes. For a man to eat and to drink and to enjoy the fruit of all his labor, it is the gift of God. That's why it's important as believers that we bow our heads for a moment whenever we partake of those good things to thank the giver. They come from the good hand of God, and God has given many gifts to man.
But the greatest gift that he ever gave, the unspeakable gift, is the gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because every other gift that man has ever enjoyed is a result of the giving of his Son. God so loved the world. Can we understand a love like that? As I say, I don't have any sons, but I know there are many here who have sons. Would you send a son to die for someone that was your enemy?
That's for someone who initially at least had no appreciation for what you were doing.
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I suppose if we were to go back to the Old Testament, two of the most complete types.
Of the father sending the son are the story of Joseph and the story of David. You know, when Israel, when Jacob sent Joseph to see how his brethren were who were tending the flocks some distance away. If Joseph, I'm sorry. If Jacob, if Israel had had any idea of how his other sons were going to treat the son he loved so much.
And the son he had made a coat of many colors for. And if he had had any inkling that he would not see that sun for many, many years and think that he was dead, would he have sent him on that occasion, I suggest he probably would have kept him home within the veil of Hebron. You know, Jacob didn't know what was going to happen on that occasion when Jesse sent David with some provisions for his his other sons.
Who were fighting the Philistines and their champion Goliath. If Jesse had had any clue as to what was going to happen, that his son was going to go down in the valley and meet Goliath with just some stones in his shepherds bag and a sling. And then he was going to be reproached and flee as a bird to the mountain and live in The Cave of Adalam. And fear for his life from King Saul would he have sent him on that occasion? I have no doubt he would have kept him home feeding those few sheep in the wilderness.
Israel didn't know, Jesse didn't know. But the wonder of the gospel story is that God the Father knew exactly what the end of the course was, and we read of the Lord Jesus. Lo, I come in the volume of the book, it is written of me to do thy will, O God. And did the Lord Jesus know where that will was going to lead him? Oh, he knew that it was going to be a path uncheered by earthly smiles that would lead only to the cross.
The Lord Jesus knew what it was going to cost to accomplish the will of God and to accomplish the work of redemption. And God the Father was willing to send him. And the Lord Jesus came in love and obedience to His Father and in love to you and me. God so loved the world. You know, the world is taken up in Scripture in three different contexts. Sometimes I put it this way so that we can remember it. Sometimes if we have.
Something that starts with the same letter, It's helpful. We have the planet, the program, and the people. I'll explain what I mean. Sometimes you find that the the word world refers to planet earth on which we live. In other words, when it says Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, that is the Lord Jesus as a man came into this world, came from heaven right down onto this little marble that's spinning in space.
This little speck in creation. He came down here, was born a babe, grew up, ministered for three years plus, and then offered him as that great sacrifice at Calvary's cross. That's the planet. There's the program too, because the sometimes the context of the word world is the system, a system of things set up by man, of which Satan is the God and Prince.
And it's that which is in going on in independence of God. It's the program.
But neither of those are the context that we have here. When it says God so loved the world, I speak reverently. He didn't love a planet. It's not this globe. It's not the program, of course. It's the people that inhabit the world. And so God so loved the world. He looked down in this sinful world and he loved the people in it. And he looks down into this room this evening, and he loves you, He loves me. And he desires your blessing far, far more than I do.
Are far, far more than the brethren that called this Gospel Meeting together. There's one who loves you.
And the very fact that you're sitting here and hearing the gospel one more time is a proof that God loves you. And remember He loves you so much that he has provided a way so that you can be in the Father's house with the Lord Jesus forever and ever and ever. God so loved the world. And then, as I say, He has proved He has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that great love.
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And he has shown it in the giving of his son. He gave his only begotten son. It's like the parable where the Lord of the vineyard sent his servants to see how things were going. And they treated those servants so bad and finally said, I have one son, I'll send him, They'll reverence him. They didn't reverence him at all. It's a little illustration of the Lord Jesus coming into this world. You know, he was rejected from the very beginning.
Think of the Lord Jesus born in Bethlehem, Manger no room for him in the inn out and outcast from the very beginning.
The Lord.
Grew up.
He was misunderstood, even sometimes by his earthly parents. But as his public ministry began, it became clear from the very beginning that he was rejected. It tells us prophetically in the Old Testament He was rejected, despised, and rejected of man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Here was the Creator of the world. You know, the Lord Jesus. When he was asleep in the boat, he was upholding all things by the word of His power. As they pounded the nails into his hands and feet, He gave the very breath that those.
Soldiers were breathing. He gave them the very strength to lift that hammer and to nail those nails through his hands and his feet. Here he was the one who by him all things subsist, it tells us in the book of Colossians.
God's only begotten Son, oh, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And let's go for a moment in our mind's eye to that scene that we've often gone to before as we go to Pilots judgment hall and we see the Lord Jesus so mocked and ridiculed, we see him scourge. We see them plot a crown of thorns on his head and beat it into his blessed brow. We see them bow the knee. We hear them say, Hail King of the Jews, did they believe he was their king? Not for one moment.
It was all in mockery and derision. There was a purple robe on one occasion. There was a scarlet robe, as another gospel tells us on another occasion, but hour after hour between the high priests and pilots, Judgment Hall. And finally they take him out and they lead him to Calvary. And sometimes we sing that hymn I trust I'll never tire of it.
On Calvary, we've adoring stood.
And gazed on that wondrous cross where the holy, spotless Lamb of God was slain in his love for us. Does that move your heart as we speak of the sufferings of Christ? Does that move your heart? Or can you sit here? And I think of how the poet expressed it? And where is the heart so hardened? And who is so vile as he that seeth the Savior suffer and saith? It is nothing to me. There's a question raised by Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations.
Is it nothing to you? All ye that pass by, Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, Is it nothing to you? Is it nothing to me? And there they nailed the Lord Jesus to that cross. And there between heaven and earth he hung as a spectacle for men and angels, crowned with a crown of thorns, that which was part of the result of the curse. And there were those, we are told, who passed by, and reviled him.
Others sat down and watched him suffer in his agony.
But you know, as awful as those sufferings, those physical sufferings of Christ were, they never atoned for one sin.
And there came a moment of high noon when God said that's enough.
And God shrouded the sun in darkness.
And God laid my sins on the Lord Jesus. And I'm thankful I can stand here and say He bore my sins in his own body on the tree. And I trust that you can say that too, because the most important part of it all no one saw there was a brother one time and he was telling me that he had seen the Passion movie some years ago.
And how impressed he was by how Hollywood had depicted the sufferings of Christ.
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And after I listened to him for a while, I said, But you didn't see the most important part.
He said, What do you mean? I didn't see the most important part. I said nobody saw the most important part. The most important part were shrouded from man's view. When God laid my sins on the Lord Jesus and at the end of it all the Lord Jesus cried with a loud voice, he said it is finished. He said, Father into my hand, I commend my spirit because we want to be very, very clear that the Lord Jesus.
Gave his life.
A ransom for many. No man, he said of his life. No man taketh it from me. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father. He gave his life in a way that no other could ever give their life. Only a divine person could lay down their life in that way. But I'm thankful that I can stand before you tonight and say he died for me.
Yes, He did. Because the wages of sin is death. Yes, it is. But I will never have to die for my sins. Oh, I may die physically if the Lord doesn't come, but I will never have to die for my sins because the Lord Jesus died for me. And it thrills my soul to confess before you again that I know the Lord Jesus as my Savior and I know that my sins are gone, that Jesus died for me.
Could you come up here tonight, if you had opportunity, and stand beside me and say the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me? I love to put my name in that verse. The Son of God who loved Jim and gave himself for Jim.
You know, there's a lot of sorrow in this world, but I heard of a young couple who had that text hanging in their living room after they were first married, the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And the man came in to transact some business with them. And while they were out of the room, he was sitting there just reading that text over and over and over again to himself. And when they came back in the room, he said, no wonder you're happy if you really believe that. And we really do believe it. We know it's true. And I know there's so many here tonight who just thrill.
As we can speak of the Lord Jesus having given himself for us.
At Calvary's Cross, the Lord Jesus bowed his head. He laid down his life.
And then a soldier with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came throughout blood and water. I love that little word forthwith again. If it said there came out blood and water, that would be enough. But it says forthwith a non immediately.
The last crowning act of man's hatred against the Son of God was the very.
Ave. that God used for eternal blessing for souls forthwith, It's to me. It's just as if God was in a hurry to bless and forthwith came throughout blood and water and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. You know I grew up under the preaching of a man by the name of Ernie Wakefield.
I'm thankful that I was baptized by Brother Wakefield, but I grew up under his preaching. Some of you who are older will remember him, perhaps.
And he used to tell us, as young brothers, remember when you preach the gospel, preach Christ, and make much of the blood, and that's what we want to do tonight. We have nothing else. God has nothing else for you. We're not talking about theology or sociology or turning over a new leaf or anything like that, or trying to do better. No man is a Sinner through and through. He's dead and trespasses and sins. But God has brought in something by grace through his son, and it's the blood of Jesus.
We have forgiveness through that blood. We're sanctified. We're justified by that blood. We sometimes sing that gospel hymn. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. There is no substitute for the blood of Jesus. I know I've often said this before, but you know, in our home we might have our favorite detergents, laundry detergent, soap, We buy shampoo, whatever it might be.
But, you know, my good conservative wife, and I'm thankful she is, sometimes she goes to the supermarket or the store and she finds that there's another brand that's a little cheaper this week, or we have a coupon or something like that. And so she substitutes, you know, in the end, it does just as good a job, really.
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There's substitutes for cleaning agents on every level in this world, but there is no substitute for the cleaning agent for sin. There is only one thing that washes sins away.
And that is the blood of Jesus. And not only does it cleanse from sin, but it cleanses from all sin. You see how those little words in scripture are so precious? Again, if it said it cleanses from sin, fine, that's wonderful, but it leaves not one stain of sin. You know, I'm not afraid tonight of one charge of sin being brought up against me, because it's all been cleared once and for all by one offering a perfected forever them that are sanctified.
I can't help it, but I got tell about a little boy I've often told about because it thrills my soul every time I tell this story about a little boy who went off to Sunday school. His mother sent him to Sunday school on every week and he came home one Sunday afternoon and he was so excited because his mother had always told him, Son, remember, God sees everything. God sees what you do, whether you do it in the dark, whether I see it or not.
God sees everything, all one Sunday afternoon. He was so excited, Mother. They taught me at Sunday school. There's something that God doesn't see.
Oh, his mother was a bit distressed. She wondered if she should be really sending him to a Sunday school like that. Now remember, Son, what I've told you, the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good. Yes, Mother, but there's one thing God doesn't see. Now remember, son, even the Lord's eyelids try the children of men. Even when his eyes are shut, he still sees what you're doing. Yes, mother, but there's one thing God doesn't see. Sun. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.
Yes, mother, but there's one thing God can't see. Finally, she said to him. What did they tell you at Sunday school? God can't see. He said, Mother, it's my sins when they're washed in the blood of Jesus. I thought that was a good answer. And not only that, but it says thy sins and iniquities I will remember no more. You know, God doesn't forget. That's human weakness. But there are things God chooses not to remember. Only a divine person can do that.
You know, the things I want to remember, I forget. And the things I want to forget I remember. Isn't that the way it often is? My grandmother had an expression I forgive and forget, but I always remember.
But there are things God chooses not to remember, And one of the things God chooses not to remember are my sins when they're washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus. Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? That's a question for each one of us here. And again, I know there's so many of us who thrill as we think of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus.
But something else took place, something that is again a very important gay, vital element of the gospel message. And that is that he died, he was buried, but he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures.
Oh, I thrill when I think of the full exaltation of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus came forth from the grave. He rose again the 3rd day. He remained on earth long enough to give ample and complete testimony.
To his own that he had bodily risen from the dead, He said on one occasion. Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bone, as you see me have. He appeared to about 500 brethren at one time.
And then a moment came when his feet left the Mount of Olives, as he had led his own outside of Bethany.
And the cloud received him out of their sight, and they saw him no more, that is, with the physical eye. And the Lord Jesus went back to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, because the resurrection, the Ascension, and the glorification of Christ are God's. Amen to the work of Calvary. They are the proof that God is satisfied with the work that his Son accomplished here at Calvary's cross. And I love that old gospel hymn we so often sing.
There is a savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree.
A Savior who's willing to save. Now as ever, his arm is almighty, his love great and free. And so he says here that whosoever believeth in him, little girl was asked one time at Sunday school, what does the word whosoever mean? Why? She said, that's you and me and everybody else. No exclusions if the Gospels for everyone. It doesn't matter how young or how old you are. I've heard of young children getting saved.
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Though young people getting saved, I've heard of those in middle age. I've even heard of deathbed confessions. I've heard of people in their 80s and 90s getting saved. But don't assume that you'll have time beyond this gospel meeting. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
One time we were driving our car and we saw a bumper sticker in front of us, it says said. Those who wait to get saved at the 11Th hour usually die at 10:30.
Saw a message, isn't it? We have no guarantee on life. How many lives as we've sat here in these chairs today have been snuffed out without a moments notice around this world. Never assume that you're going to have another opportunity. God's time is now whosoever believeth in him. How simple it is. There was a little gospel message preached in a prison in Philippi many years ago. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Not a very long gospel message, was it?
But it had its effect That Philippian jailer, it says he believed in God rejoicing. And we want you tonight to confess that you're a Sinner and have faith in Christ, because salvation is repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. That's all it is. And so whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
One time I looked up the word perish in a dictionary. I think it was a Random House dictionary, and it said to perish is to pass out of existence. I wasn't satisfied with that. You know, that's what man would like to think, that when he dies, it's like the beast and it's all over. I did. I looked it up then in Webster's dictionary, and I was more satisfied with what it said. There perish to die spiritually.
Solemn, isn't it? You know.
The soul that enters the lost eternity will exist forever. They will exist in a place of torment, a place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth with a conscience and a memory that they sat and heard. John 316 The Lord said the word that I have spoken. The same shall judge him in the last day. Have you ever heard John 316 before? You probably have. And you've heard it tonight. And won't it be solemn if you lift up your eyes in a lost eternity? And this verse comes to mind.
But it not as to a point of refuge and salvation, but this verse will rise in judgment of you because it will condemn you as you realize you had opportunity, should not perish but have everlasting life. We spoke of the gifts of God and it says the gift of God is eternal life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord God is offering eternal life. And at the end of this gospel meeting I want to make it so very simple and plain.
Because I think sometimes when the Gospels presented, souls wonder, well, what do I have to do or how can I be saved? It is this simple. In a moment or two, I'm going to pray.
And if you're not saved, all you have to do is talk to the Lord in your heart. He hears what you say, even if you don't utter one word aloud. And all you have to do is, from your heart confess that you're a Sinner, and tell him that you want to receive that wonderful gift, the gift of eternal life. And it says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And I will guarantee you on the authority of God's word, tonight.
That if you simply talk to the Lord Jesus in your heart tonight, in the way that we have just mentioned. And it doesn't have to be complicated language, but if you will talk to the Lord Jesus in your heart and from your heart you can get up off these chairs. A saved person, no longer on your way to hell, a lost eternity, but on your way to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus. Because I want to warn you at the end of this meeting, the Lord Jesus is coming very soon. I can't tell you when.
But I know one thing for sure and certain that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. And I know one thing for sure and certain on the authority of this book, the Bible.
That when the Lord Jesus comes, if you have had opportunity to receive the gospel as you've had tonight.
You will be left behind with no more opportunity to receive Christ as your Savior, and you will be condemned and doomed at the great white throne, judgment to an eternity in hell. But oh tonight God loves you. God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.